Andre Gabriel Lane was born in Miami, Florida, at Jackson Memorial Hospital on June 29, 1989, to the late Undrea G. Lane and Dawn R. Gilley. He departed this life and gained his wings on Friday, February 17, 2023. 

 

Andre was affectionately nicknamed “Lil Dre” by his dad, two sisters, uncles, aunts, and cousins. To his mother, he was her “Big Teddy Bear.”

 

Friends and neighbors lovingly called him “Bigg Redd” because of his size. Although he was large in stature, he was very loving, charming, and charismatic. As a child, he made friends wherever he went, even if they didn’t speak the same language. Andre was always bigger than kids his age, but he wasn’t a bully. He was the peacemaker and the one to break up fights. His exact words would be, “Man, why y’all fighting? We’re supposed to stick together.” Dre loved hard—he was caring and overprotective, especially to the women in his family.

 

Andre attended school in the Dade County public school system, graduating from American Senior High School with the class of 2007. After graduation, he joined the Army Reserve and left for basic training in October of 2007. Once he graduated basic training in February of 2008, he returned to Miami. Andre began a career as an armed security officer with Wakenhut and with Wing Stop. Finally using his passion and love for cooking, Andre started as a cook at Wing Stop, soon working his way up to assistant manager and then manager. Andre was such a dedicated, hard worker that he would travel to different cities in Florida to train other employees. While working, he continued his duties to the Army Reserve. After serving his four years, he was honorably discharged. 

 

However, Dre felt his greatest accomplishment was becoming a father. Andre was a loving and devoted father; he was very proud to be a dad. He worked hard to take care of his family, sometimes even working two jobs to provide for them. His children adored him. Caddie is a daddy’s girl to the core. Ahmir is Andre in small form, and he even has his playful fun loving personality. Dre loved his two sisters, nieces, and nephews dearly and they all loved him just as much, especially the kids because he was a big kid at heart. They knew when “Uncle Dre” was around, it was nothing but fun and laughter all around. 

 

He leaves to cherish his memories: two children, daughter, Caedence Lane, 5 years of age, and son, Ahmir Lane, 3 years of age; mother, Dawn Gilley; two sisters, Shynae Lane and Diondra McNeil; three nieces, Yamina, age 12, WaLani, 1, and Calani, 4; the mother of his two children, Ciera Walden; five aunts, Gail Williams, Susan White, Deborah Lane, Cheryl Lane, and Coradine Lane; two uncles, Lemon Lane, Jr. and Dwight Lane; cousins/brothers, Malcolm Lane and Tarvaris Blount; godbrother, Jarmal Jackson; two best friends, Byron Witter and Deneatria; and a host of other cousins and extended relatives.